My Happy Ending
by KarmellaKitty
Summary: Everyone returns to repeat their last year at Hogwarts, and Headmistress McGonagall has created reconciliation partners. Draco's paired up with Luna Lovegood, so he thinks he'll have a laugh, and maybe help his dad. But then he starts to fall for Luna...
1. Chapter 1

**Note: This chapter has been partially rewritten, so please re-read to those who read the first chapter before. It's much better. =)**

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><p>Hi, readers! This is my new fanfiction in the Harry Potter fandom, My Happy Ending. It's a Draluna fic, so you'll be seeing a lot of them. If you've heard the song My Happy Ending, then you can know that the song fits from Luna's point of view. If you haven't, well, I can't tell you what to do, but I wouldn't recommend listening to it. It kind of gives away the end. But not the story! So this is written from Draco's POV, even though I don't like writing boy POVs very much. But this one has to be, because I just can't write from Luna's POV. That is beyond me. So read and review if you like it and want me to keep going! I'll post if I get some reviews or alerts!<p>

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I don't own My Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne.

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><p>Draco glanced sourly up at the head table, where all of the teachers were laughing and enjoying the first day back. He wasn't nearly as happy. Now that the war was over - and he'd been on the losing side -, there were few people who wanted to consort with the likes of him. He'd been met with so many disgusted looks already that even <em>he<em> was starting to feel disgusted at himself. Fortunately, he also had friends who'd switched sides. "Come on, Draco. Lighten up," Pansy urged from his left side.

Blaise raised one perfect eyebrow at his full plate and snorted. "This reminds me of our sixth year. Except then, Crabbe and Goyle would eat your - Oh, sorry."

Strange as it was, it seemed that Draco actually had appreciated Crabbe's friendship. Somehow, things weren't the same without a second big oaf at his side. Goyle looked hopelessly incomplete without his companion, as well. "It's okay, Blaise," Draco assured him, not wanting to appear weak. "It's not like I actually cared for the guy, anyway," he added, but he had the strangest feeling that everyone at the table knew it was a lie.

Pansy was gazing rather sadly at him. "I know you've been through a lot, Draco," she began in one of her rare intelligent moments. "And I want you to know that no matter what, I'm here for -"

Suddenly, she was cut off by a magically magnified throat being cleared, and they turned to see Headmistress McGonagall standing up. "Welcome back, students," she greeted them. "I hope you have enjoyed your summers and your feast. But it's time for school again, and we look forward to a great year." She paused and smiled out at them. Draco tried to keep his brain from thinking all the nasty names he had called people like her in the past - _Muggle-lovers, all of them,_ - but he couldn't quite keep it in. He turned to mutter some of these to Crabbe, and then cleared his throat to get rid of the large lump.

"Now, everyone is repeating the past year of education, due to a mismanagement of curriculum," McGonagall continued. _Mismanagement of curriculum, right,_ Draco scoffed to himself. "And because of this, we are going to have a rather swollen first year class. To remedy this..." Draco soon tuned her out and turned to flicking potatoes with his fork at Potter and the rest, of whom only that Granger girl was listening attentively.

"Furthermore, you are all going to be assigned reconciliation partners," McGonagall said after a few minutes, catching Draco's attention. _Reconciliation partners? _This wouldn't be good. "Everyone that displayed signs of siding with You-Know-Who and those that have been treated with unfair animosity are going to be paired with some of the excellent leaders of our years. Now, listen closely. Professor Slughorn?" she gestured to the large old man, who had returned to teach Potions.

"Alright, listen up," he began, unrolling a scroll with a rather grandiose gesture. "Now, we have: Potter and Zabini. Granger, Parkinson." Draco heard both Pansy and Blaise groan loudly. "Ronald Weasley, Goyle. Ginevra Weasley, Nott. Malfoy, Lovegood. Longbottom..." Slughorn continued to read names off the list, while Draco started laughing. His partner was Loony Lovegood? That was ridiculous! Oh, this would definitely be an entertaining year.

As the students piled out of the Great Hall, newly rebuilt, Draco noticed Potter and his friends walking only a few feet ahead of him, including his new partner, the Lovegood girl. He slid up behind them to hear what they were saying. "I can't believe I'm stuck with Goyle," Weasley was complaining. "That bloke can't tell a horse from a shoe from a knitting needle!"

"Ron, you can't complain," Granger argued. "I'm with _Parkinson._ She's a complete cow, not to mention she isn't that bright either."

"And I'm with that Zabini," Potter scoffed. "The one whose mother is famous for marrying rich blokes and then doing away with them. He thinks he's amazing just because he supposedly looks good."

"Too bad you can't say the same about yourself, Potter," Draco interjected snidely, bringing himself forward so that he matched the pace of the others.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Potter demanded, his hand leaving that hot Weasley girl and landing on his wand.

Draco smirked. "I'm here to meet my new partner, of course." He motioned towards Loony Lovegood, who was reading a magazine upside down and wearing those very odd spectacles she was known for.

"Luna," the Weasley girl nudged softly, bringing Lovegood's attention to Draco, while Potter stepped menacingly forward.

"You better not mess with her, Malfoy," Potter warned.

"Or what? You'll punch me from under that cloak of yours?" Draco responded, amused, remembering the very hectic Battle of Hogwarts, which he knew would get Potter riled, since Potter was rumored to have nightmares about that time.

Weasley stepped forward to defend his friend as well, taking out his wand. "Get away from here, Malfoy. And stay away from Luna," he snarled.

"What, is she your girlfriend, too?" Draco retorted, his smirk growing ever wider.

Three wands shot spelled at him, all of which he dodged with ease, from the wands of Potter, Weasley, and Granger. He emerged from the smoke, laughing, before heading down to the Slytherin common room. "Nice try, Potter," he snickered.

"At least I'm not running like a coward," Potter shouted at Draco's back, with very little real impact. He headed down the stairs, through a couple passageways, and then past the door that led towards the dungeon Potions room. As Draco neared the dungeons, however, he noticed there was somebody following him.

"_Stupefy,_" Draco whispered into the darkness, causing somebody to scurry out of the shadows and into view.

"Oh, hello, Draco," Luna Lovegood said pleasantly. "I hope I didn't get in the way of whoever you were aiming at."

Draco did a double take. "Why were you following me?"

"Following you? Oh, no," Lovegood laughed. "I wasn't following you. I simply like to take a slightly longer way to the Ravenclaw common room. It reminds me of last year, when we were always sneaking around. Also, it's easier to avoid other students. They like to take my stuff and make fun of me sometimes."

"Oh," Draco responded smartly, touched by her honesty. "I was just - I thought it was Potter or one of his buddies, following me, trying to pull a prank."

Loony Lovegood removed her strange glasses so that Draco could see her eyes. She tucked them in the front pocket of her robes, as though she were about to say something important, a feeling that Draco was not used to having when talking to Lovegood. "I don't think you are as bad of a person as Harry thinks," Luna told him. "Harry is my friend, but he can be very judgmental about people he doesn't particularly take to."

Draco was, for once, at a loss for words. What could he possibly say to that? "Er, yeah," he replied after a pause.

"I don't think you understand how good of a person you are, Draco," she continued, astounding him further. It wasn't like she could possibly know anything about him, Draco thought in annoyance.

"Whatever, Loony Lovegood," Draco responded, now thoroughly convinced that he was irritated. But as he enter the common room and was engulfed by his classmates - a very worried Pansy and a very annoyed Blaise - Draco wasn't so sure what he felt. That hollow feeling in his chest, the feeling of being discovered and betrayed, seemed like it was more than just a figment of his imagination, no matter what he tried to make himself think. _Come on, Draco,_ he told himself. _It's just Loony Lovegood._

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><p>Okay, I like the rewritten version a LOT better, for those of you that read this chapter before. It makes it seem way more normal. The other version was just weird. Now tell me if you want to see these to fall for each other. =) (By the way, there is a plot, for those of you that like that. For those of you that don't, it's not an enormous plot.;-))<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, here's chapter two! I got a review and a few other alerts, so I hope that's a good sign. **By the way, I re-wrote the second half of Chapter 1, so you might want to check that out and see what changed.** Announcement over. Here you go.

Disclaimer: I don't own HP or My Happy Ending.

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><p>"Dear Draco," Draco read, his mother's neat handwriting making him smile. "I'm already starting to miss you, and it's only been a day! I really hope you're okay, Draco, and I'm not saying this to be annoying, as you so often seem to think. You saw the looks we got at the platform... and I'm sure there are more where those came from. And this morning, your father returned with the Daily Prophet saying you have reconciliation partners or something of the sort. How is that going? Are you alright with your partner? And, Draco, I'm running out of parchment so I have to say this fast, but PLEASE don't do what your father is writing to tell you to do. I'm sure it's something to do with these partners, and I'm not entirely convinced he doesn't want you to see what the Order is doing - as if it matters anymore. You know how's he gotten lately; he's convinced he can bring back the Dark Lord. And I'm not entirely sure that I want him back... Have a great time, Draco. I'll write again soon. Love, Mum."<p>

What did his father want with the Order? The Order was just doing rebuilding work at the moment - there were currently workers at Hogwarts trying to fix certain magical aspects that had been damaged. Like his mother, Draco thought that Lucius Malfoy had gotten a little crazy since the war had ended. He seemed to want nothing more than to resurrect the Dark Lord, and was trying to convince Draco to join him.

Confident that this letter would be complete garbage, Draco tore open the parchment his father had sent and read, "Dear Draco, I hope you are well. I know your mother is very worried about your well-being at that school. I am, as well, for I know that none of the other students understand how pure the mission of the Dark Lord is." Draco shook his head in derision at the "is." "I know that you and your mother don't agree that the Dark Lord can return, but I believe that if we all band together and BELIEVE, we can succeed. And I know you don't want to bring back the Dark Lord, but imagine all that we've worked for. Wizard rule, Mudbloods and Muggles abolished... Draco, you and I have very similar minds." _God, I hope not,_ thought Draco. "And despite your doubts, I think that if you get inside this partner of yours' head, you can tell us a lot. Come on, Draco. For your dear old dad? My sources at the Ministry - where conditions for me are still tense, I might add, - say that you're partnered with the Lovegood girl. Loony is her name, I believe? She is perfect, Draco! Become her friend, or better yet, her lover." Draco shuddered slightly at that plan of his father's. "Help me, Draco. Just give me another chance. Sincerely, Dad."

Draco looked up at Pansy, who was staring at him in concern. "Are you okay, Draco?" she simpered.

"Yeah, fine," he mumbled distractedly. Should he help his dad? Probably not. But there was a part of him that longed to prove that he had been right all along, and that he deserved the glory and power that Potter and his buddies had now. That part of him was telling Draco that no matter how unlikely, there was a chance - a tiny little _chance_ - that the Dark Lord could return and give him everything he'd wished for.

And then the rational, stronger part of him was saying, _No! You do not want to do this, Draco. Remember how he made you torture and kill? Remember how you hated it? Remember how he wanted you to die, just to get back at your father? Your father, who went back and groveled at the Dark Lord's feet, begging for forgiveness. Your father, who only cared for himself, and not for you or your mother. Why do you want to do this?_ He didn't. Draco didn't want to help his father in his delusional schemes, and he most definitely didn't want to help in this particular one. Seduce the Lovegood girl? Yuck. Not that he couldn't do it, but he didn't want to, now that he actually had a choice.

The girl in question was waiting at the entrance to the Great Hall, grinning broadly, and looking rather too happy. "Good morning, Draco!" Loony Lovegood exclaimed, waving enthusiastically.

"Loony Lovegood," Draco muttered in reply with a groan. "Um, look. I now we have this whole partners thing, but I have to get to Potions, so if you could -"

"But I have Potions, too," Lovegood told him, her voice returning to its usual dreamy state. "I moved up to the seventh year with you. Professor McGonagall did that to some of the exceptional students."

"But -" Draco began, but realized he didn't know what to say. "Er, alright, I guess, if we have to..."

"So, Draco," Luna began seriously, her hand reaching into her bag and pulling out a copy of that crazy magazine of hers, _The Quibbler._ "Do you think you can comment on Daddy's article about your and your father's plans for the rise of Voldedort?"

Draco's heart skipped a beat and he stared at her. Was it possible that she had learned about his dad wanting to raise Voldemort from the dead, with his help getting information from _her_? But then he replayed what she had said in his head: _your and your father's plans for the rise of Voldedort_. Wait, Voldedort? "Who is Voldedort?" he asked, almost curiously.

"You-Know-Who's twin, of course!" Luna exclaimed. For a moment, Draco thought she would start laughing at the joke, but she appeared to be quite serious.

"The Dark Lord's... twin?" Draco queried, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably. It seemed horribly hilarious that Lovegood thought he was planning the rise of the Dark Lord's twin. The Dark Lord's _twin,_ of all things!

"Oh, yes," Loony said seriously, nodding energetically as they approached the Potions dungeon. "There is overwhelming evidence that Voldemort had a twin, and that he is a vampire."

"A vampire?" Now Draco was full on laughing, his snickers echoing off of the dungeon walls. "A _vampire_?" It seemed even more ridiculous to him than it really was, but in the moment, with all the worry about his father's more dangerous schemes, this was a very good excuse to laugh.

"What's so funny, Malfoy?" Draco groaned at Potter's voice.

"Apparently, I'm plotting with my father for the rise of Voldedort, the Dark Lord's vampire twin," Draco responded seriously, the grin slipping of his face as he adopted a very somber expression, perhaps appropriate to a funeral.

It was a mark of how much Weasley cared about Luna, Draco realized, that the redheaded boy didn't give in to the obvious mirth on his face. "Go away, Draco," Weasley ordered. "None of us want you here."

Draco smirked back at them, but joined Pansy, Blaise, and Theo at the other side of the room. He was actually glad to leave them, for there was a nagging feeling in his chest that was practically begging him to give into his father's wishes. Why would he do that? Why would he want to? Draco couldn't answer either of these questions, but that voice in his head wasn't going to leave it at that.

"Draco? Draco? Have you been listening to anything I've said?" Pansy complained in exasperation, her bottom lip out in a pout, as all of the students entered Professor Slughorn's classroom.

"Sorry, distracted," Draco muttered as Slughorn started to speak.

"Welcome, welcome," the fat man bumbled cheerily. "No, no, Harry m'boy. We're all going to sit next to our reconciliation partners! Such a brilliant idea that Minerva's concocted, don't you think?" The silent mutiny of the students as they positioned themselves next to their much-hated partners was answer enough.

"Hello, Draco," Luna greet him, smiling, as always.

"Do you ever stop being so happy?" Draco finally snapped.

Lovegood looked at him appraisingly, looking not at all offended. "I think it's much more use to the world if a person smiles than frowns. You may have noticed that you don't have very many real friends. Maybe if you were nicer, you would."

Draco snorted. _Smiling isn't doing you much good in that area,_ he thought. Then he smiled as a surprising thought occurred to him. Luna wasn't so bad to spend time with. She was nice and pretty, if eccentric. The things she said made him laugh, at least. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to help his dad - it would be a laugh, after all. Besides, who could he possibly hurt?

Too bad there was no one to answer that question.

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><p>Yes, too bad. A lot of this could have been avoided. Wait, you don't know what "this" is...=P Reviewalert if you want chapter 3! A review or two will buy you chapter three!


	3. Chapter 3

Awesome! Three reviews is great, guys! For only the second chapter, anyway. So, I'll be expecting those reviews again, and here's chapter three for you. It's better than the first two. I think. Please tell me what you think in reviews!

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own HP and I don't own My Happy Ending.

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><p>Draco could tell that winter was coming as he shivered beneath his cloak, the chills of October descending silently onto the grounds of Hogwarts and the village of Hogsmeade. It was the first weekend of October, and the first Hogsmeade weekend for the students. Unfortunately, everyone was forced to go to the village with their "reconciliation partner," so Draco was stuck with Luna. Although the last few weeks hadn't been too horrible, and he had managed to extract several valuable nuggets of information for his father, Luna's eccentricity was actually endearing to him, and that was what scared him most.<p>

"Where do you want to go first?" she asked, rubbing her arms to warm them up. Draco slung an arm around her as a source of warmth - for them both, of course, - but quickly removed it when he realized what he was doing.

"Anywhere that isn't outside," Draco responded, pulling her into Honeydukes, the next storefront they passed.

"Oooo," Luna exclaimed. "I love this shop." Draco laughed and approached the counter, offering to buy her a few things. "Oh, Draco. I couldn't. I know that you don't have as much money as you used to since the war."

Her honesty startled him into reality. He kept forgetting about his newfound shortage of money. "Oh, yeah," he muttered awkwardly. "Then, er, I'll buy myself some candy and share it with you."

Luna nodded, her cloak's strings still up around her nose from the cold. "Cold fall, ain't it?" the shop-owner remarked as they went up to pay for their things.

"Yes, sir," Draco agreed respectfully, trying not to attract attention to the amount of time he was spending digging up the two galleons he needed to pay for the candy.

"Tell you what," the shop-owner said in a faux-whisper. "I'll give you something a little extra for your girlfriend."

"Oh! She's not... Luna's just my reconciliation partner. Not my girlfriend," Draco clarified hastily, his eyes bugging out.

"Oh. Sorry," the shop-owner responded, looking a little taken aback. "But I think you shouldn't be so quick to get rid of that possibility," he added, accepting the two galleons with a wink, and placing the little pink chocolate heart on top anyway.

Draco blushed and led Luna out of the shop, only to turn in at the next door, The Three Broomsticks. It was far too chilly to be outside. "Oh! Draco! Did you see that?" Luna exclaimed, staring out the window. A few heads turned in their direction, but Draco ignored it.

"What?" he asked, a little bored, as he recognized the symptoms of Luna seeing one of her fantastical creatures.

"A snow Leprechaun!" she answered, taking his hand and pointing it in the direction. Draco blinked a few times, and thought he might've seen something vaguely resembling a little man made of snow.

"Yeah, yeah," he agreed enthusiastically, instead of voicing his thoughts. His time spent with Luna had showed him that it was best to go along with what she said, and not laugh. Never laugh.

Luna smiled and ordered up to mugs of butterbeer, before taking his arm and drifting over to where Potter, Granger, and the two Weasleys were sitting. "Hello, Luna. Malfoy," Potter greeted them civilly. Draco noticed that all of their "reconciliation partners" had disappeared, and wondered why he hadn't been asked to join the aforementioned vanished partners. _Maybe because they think I'll say no,_ Draco realized, his stomach turning cold. It was true that he had been spending a lot of time with Luna - much more than the others had with their partners. But it was because of his dad. Right?

"Potter," Draco responded, dipping his head and trying not to appear distracted.

"How come you aren't with your buddies?" Weasley asked, a bit more rudely than Potter.

"It's not because I want to hang out with you lot, believe me," Draco snorted, looking down his nose at Granger in particular. _Filthy Mud -_ he began to think, then remembered he was supposed to be good. _That's a laugh._

Granger looked up at his gaze and wrinkled her nose. "Ew, what are you doing here?" she wondered, then clapped her hand over her mouth. Weasley laughed obnoxiously at her comment.

Luna smiled. "Oh, come on, Draco. I can see we aren't wanted. There's a nice antique shop a few doors down; would you like to go there?"

Draco grinned back at her and responded, "Sure, Luna," ignoring the laughter of Potter and his mates. She took his hand and led him up to the antique shop, while Draco tried to ignore the tingling in his hand where she was touching him, or the way he kept thinking she was pretty with her windswept blond curls and large, clear eyes. _What is wrong with me?_ Draco wondered, shaking his head. He'd been with plenty of girls, and he had never felt this way about any of them, including his long-time girlfriend, Pansy.

The antique shop that Luna had mentioned was small and crammed with various wizarding antiquities. Shelves of cauldrons and teapots lined the walls, while the floor was covered in silk rugs and garden statues. A small counter near the back was filled with jewelry, and that was where Luna headed. "Oh! Look at that," Luna exclaimed, pointing at a pot, for, being Luna, she had to get sidetracked along the way, Draco thought dryly.

Draco examined what had caught her attention; it was a large blue tureen engraved with strange runes. "What does it say?" he asked, interested despite himself.

Luna picked up the tureen and held it upside down, her eyes widening slowly as she spun it around. "Wow. This is the secret of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack's eating habits. This will help Daddy a lot," she exclaimed. "We're going on another vacation to find the Snorkacks this Christmas Break." Draco smiled at her somewhat condescendingly, finding her strangely cute with her weird obsession with strange animals. "I wonder who put this here..."

"Probably another lunatic like you," he muttered, but was still grinning. Luna may be a lunatic, but he loved her for it. _Wait, what am I thinking?_ Draco realized in a panic. _I don't love Luna! How could I think such a thing? Me, Draco Malfoy, and Loony Lovegood? It's completely ridiculous!_

"Draco? Draco?" Luna prodded, waving her hand in front of his face. "Have you got a case of the Carmuffagles?"

"The Carmuffagles?" Draco queried, edging over to the jewelry counter.

"Oh, yes," Luna nodded. "The characteristic symptoms include mysteriously staring at one person for a long time. I've noticed you doing that a lot. You should get yourself checked." _I've been staring at Luna a lot?_ Draco thought with a seizing of panic.

"Yeah, maybe I should," Draco told her, still staring at the jewelry.

"Oh, this is really pretty," Luna exclaimed. Draco hurried over to see what she was looking at, and he had to agree that it was kind of nice. It was a large faceted amethyst set into an elegant silver claw, hanging on a rather simple silver chain.

"Yeah," he agreed. Then, struck by a sudden burst of generosity, Draco extracted a small purse in one of his back pockets, with what his mother had said was his emergency money, and poured twenty-one galleons out onto the counter. The gnarled old witch that was taking care of the shop sprang forward immediately and shoveled the money over to herself with greedy fingers, then handed Luna the necklace.

"Thank you," she told the woman, then turned to Draco. "You shouldn't have done that, Draco."

"I wanted to," he responded with a smile.

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><p>Those last two lines are homage to One Tree Hill... which is what I was watching while I wrote this. Not that episode, but still. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! At least so that I don't drive you crazy asking for reviews. Also, if you're a Marauders fan, please check out my other fanfiction (my other Harry Potter fanfiction, that is) Set Fire to the Rain.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Yes, I'm a horrible person. Yes, I should have updated ages ago. But it's been soooo busy, you can't even imagine. Well, if you're in high school, you probably can. And not to try and make excuses, as I have none, but to those of you who read my other story, or have me on author alert, I have been trying really hard to update this one, but my Psych fic is already done, so it's really easy to update, while Set Fire to the Rain I had almost done when I updated it that one time. So... here you go.

Disclaimer: I don't own HP or My Happy Ending.

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><p>"Dear Draco," Draco's mother had written. "I am writing a brief note to warn you to stop whatever you are doing with your father. I fear for his sanity. Since you left, he's been on the brink of being a complete maniac. Please stop, Draco. Please. Do it for me. Love Mum." Draco paused at the end of this letter. He had only been trying to help his father, but it looked like he had made things worse. Should he stop?<p>

"Draco, my boy!" began his father's letter energetically. "I am very glad for the little bits of information you've collected about what the Order believes will happen next. Sometime the enemy's insight is the most valuable! Now, I want you to give me some more information. Try and figure out what the Order's meetings are about. What are they discussing. Much thanks from your dear old dad."

Draco fingered this letter nervously. It sounded like his mother was, indeed, right about his father's worsening condition. This letter made it seem like he was positively mad - since when did Lucius Malfoy say things like, "Draco, my boy?" But, if that was true, then the only person he could hurt was his dad. And if his dad was hurt, then he couldn't possibly hurt anyone else. Right?

Unfortunately, Draco was ripped from his thoughts by the voice of the Weasel, standing behind him. "Hey, _Draco_, is that a letter from your mum? I bet she misses you so much - I mean, now that the Dark Lord isn't there to entertain her, she just has your loser of a dad, right?" Weasley was saying.

There was a burst of laughter from behind Weasley in the form of Potter and that other Weasley girl. "Well, I'm sure your mum writes all the time, Weasel," Draco retorted. "After all, your dad isn't even there - he has to work all day and night to get enough money to feed her, right?"

Weasley almost lunged at a very smirking Draco, but Potter held him back, whispering something in his ear. Then Weasley grinned and countered, "Where's your girlfriend, Malfoy?"

"Girlfriend?" Draco asked, confused.

"Yeah. Luna?" Weasley responded, snickering behind his hand.

"You think Luna's my girlfriend?" Draco scoffed. "Yeah, right. Why would a guy like me date _Loony_ Lovegood? If anything, all this time with her's showed me just how crazy she is. Complete lunatic."

But suddenly, everyone's eyes weren't focused on Draco's laughing face, but on a point somewhere over his shoulder. Slowly, with a sinking sensation of dread in his chest, he turned.

Sure enough, it was Luna, her lip trembling slightly. Draco stared at her, his mouth flapping pointlessly. The truth was, he didn't even know what to say. He was completely in the wrong, and he knew it. His face crumpled and a lump appeared in his throat as Luna spun around and fled, tears flying from her eyes and splashing onto the others.

The only sound was the distant banging of Luna's _Reincarnations of Mozart_ book bag. Draco started forward, wanting to make everything right with her. Then he stopped, his mind reeling in confusion. _Why? Why do I care so much about her? It's not like I actually care about Loony Lovegood, _Draco scoffed to himself, shaking his head perplexedly.

But suddenly, a chill spread over him in a rush, as though an icy breeze had blown through the great doors beside them. _I do care,_ he realized, surprised. _But why do I care about _Loony _Lovegood?_ Almost immediately after he repeated the "Loony" to himself, Draco felt an overpowering urge to defend Luna's honor, even against himself, despite everything that was screaming at him not to.

Draco glanced at Potter and his mates. Weasley had stopped his original snickering after Granger slapped him on the arm and hissed, "Ron! Be a little more sensitive, will you?" Potter and his girlfriend were both staring after Luna, obvious concern etched on their faces.

Weasley and Granger adopted somber looks as well, as Draco felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Potter standing directly behind him, a questioning look on his face. "What?" Draco exclaimed, nearly forgetting to snarl.

"Well? Aren't you going?" Potter asked, as though there was something completely obvious Draco should be doing.

"Going where?" Draco asked dumbly, still in shock. Suddenly, he felt incredibly inferior to all of the others, even Weasley, all of whom seemed to think that he was missing the main piece to this puzzle, a feeling he wasn't used to having.

"After Luna," the Weasley girl told him in an exasperated voice, rolling her eyes over-dramatically.

Draco's eyes flickered to her, the thought of her good looks not even crossing his mind, for once. All he could think of was Luna - Luna, her beautiful blond curls, and the way they shone in the -

What was he thinking? Shaking his head again, he responded, "I don't know where she is."

Granger looked at him rather haughtily. "Figure it out, Malfoy." Then, turning to Weasley: "I've got to go find Pansy - that is, the Parkinson cow."

Draco smiled lightly and turned to leave the Great Hall. Luna. He knew where she was, of course. He'd been stupid not to realize it. It was the Owlery - the place Luna always went when she wanted to be alone. His grin grew wider as he remembered...

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><p>It had been a sunny day near the middle of September, during their free period, one of the first times that Draco had enjoyed his time with Luna. She had taken his wrist, leading him to one corner of the tower, where a lone white owl sat. "Is that Potter's?" he queried, confused.<p>

Luna laughed as she took the owl onto her arm, revealing a missing leg. "No. This is mine. She's not actually mine; she's the school's, but I take care of her," she explained. "I found her in my first year, all alone and hurt, and I nursed her back to health with the help of Professor Flitwick and Madame Pomfrey. Now she's mine. Here, stroke her."

Draco reached out a hesitant hand to touch the owl, who hooted quietly and cuffed his hand with her beak. Luna smiled at him, and at that moment, Draco felt himself falling for her, for her beautiful smile. He grinned back at her, his hand brushing against hers lightly as he brought it down.

The tingling feeling in his fingers spread all the way to his toes.

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><p>Draco knocked lightly on the side of the archway leading into the Owlery. "Luna?" he called softly, stepping into the swirling owls. There was no answer, only a sniffle from the corner where Bernadette - Luna's owl - usually stayed. "Luna. Can I just come and talk to you? I don't want anything more..."<p>

Luna stepped out from behind an owl perch, Bernadette perched precariously on her arm. Luna's face glistened with tears, making her look almost angelic. "Luna, Luna, I'm so sorry," Draco whispered, running up to her.

"I know you are, Draco," she responded, letting him hug her. "But you need to learn to not be afraid of being with me. I need you to be someone who's not afraid to be with me."

Draco gazed at her with wide eyes, surprised. "I'm not... I'm not afraid to be with you, Luna," he told her, trying to be earnest, but realizing immediately that he was wrong. "I'll try not to be, anyway."

"Thank you, Draco," Luna said, smiling brightly. Draco leaned against the wall, feeling off-balance and dizzy. What was going on? Why had Luna forgiven him so easily? It wasn't supposed to be so easy!

"What? No," Draco protested. "You aren't supposed to forgive me! I don't want you to forgive me, Luna. I don't deserve to be forgiven!"

"But you expect to be, Draco," Luna told him gently. "You expect to be forgiven lightly. You expect people to want to be with you, to want to be your friends. But Draco, it's not always that easy."

Draco stared at Luna, amazed. He wasn't used to people being so straightforward, so honest, with him. He wasn't used to people being like Luna. "Luna..." Draco began, but faltered. "Luna, I'm sorry."

She smiled. "I forgive you, Draco. Don't worry."

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><p>Draco fingered the letter in his hand. Luna had gone to the Ravenclaw common room for the night, after they'd spent all day together, mending the wounds of the morning. But now he had written a letter to his father, saying he'd send along the information when he got it. Now he wasn't sure he wanted to send it at all, especially after the whirlwind of a day he'd had.<p>

He closed his eyes, stroking Bernadette softly. It was so exhausting, his whole life. Sometimes, Draco felt like it would be easier to give up on all the pressure, give up on it all. But there was always Luna right there beside him...

Draco sighed and tied the letter to a barn owl's leg. At least it would stop his father from bothering him. At least it would end all the pressure.

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><p>I don't deserve all your awesome reviews, but please try and review. Even though I never have time to reply, your reviews are all really encouraging. I'm <em>really<em> trying to update more... Hopefully, school will calm down now that it's begun and settled a little. So thanks for everything, guys! You're awesome!


	5. Chapter 5

It's been a long time and I feel bad, since you guys are actually great reviewers! But don't think I've forgotten, because I've actually had Chapter 5 in the works for a couple weeks; I just don't have too much time to write anymore. Can you believe that I haven't read since, like, the middle of September? It's sad... Well, anyway, here you go. I like this chapter! It includes my first try at Luna POV... so tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: Don't own HP, don't own My Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne.

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><p>"Wow," Draco laughed as Luna entered the room. "That's great."<p>

She smiled, fingering the black embroidery on the fringes of her deep purple robes. "You think I make a good Ruzzle Witch?" she asked. Draco stepped back, as though to assess her crazy purple pointed had and sparkling robes with large-stoned jewelry, and grinned.

"The costume's beautiful," he told her. "You're beautiful."

Luna's eyes brightened. "Thank you, Draco. That's a very nice thing to -" Suddenly, she cut off, clutching at her throat. Draco rushed forward, his eyes widening in fear.

"Luna! Luna! What's wrong?" he asked, allowing her to sink down into his arms with a gasp.

"I... I can't breathe," she whimpered, her eyes like fearful purple globes - she had turned them purple for her Ruzzle Witch costume, he realized with a lurch, as he propped Luna up on his shoulder and raced for the hospital wing.

"Sh," he whispered in her ear, his heart racing as he threw open the doors. Draco couldn't remember a time when he'd been this worried about a human being other than himself. That thought made him cringe, for watching Madame Pomfrey examine Luna somehow got through to him, making him realize how selfish he'd been. "Luna, I'm so sorry," he breathed to himself, not even knowing what he had to apologize to her for. But somehow he felt like this was all his fault.

"What's going on?" a loud voice questioned. Draco shook himself awake as it dawned on him that he'd been standing there, staring, for quite a while. Madame Pomfrey had disappeared into her office, probably to find some potion or something, and Potter and his pals had clearly heard the news, for Weasley had just voiced the obvious question.

"It's me. I'm going to be sick at the sight of you," Draco quipped snidely, surprising even himself.

"Really?" Granger interrupted. "Luna's seriously ill, and you immature twits are going to argue?" Weasley looked slightly abashed, while Draco's insides seemed to turn to acid. Granger was right. What was he doing, arguing like a child _with_ a little child while Luna was so sick?

"Yeah..." Draco mumbled, and glanced at him, obviously surprised at the uncharacteristic remorse. "You're right, Granger." At this, he received numerous stunned glances, not least of all from Granger, but he ignored it, stepping forward towards Luna. "Will she be okay?" he asked Madame Pomfrey, who had just reappeared.

"Well, she is seriously ill," Madame Pomfrey responded. "She will recover, with this potion, but it is a little risky. This is a disease often contracted when traveling in Siberia, as the wizards there are not too appreciative of visitors." _Luna__'__s __summer __trip __to __search __for __the __Crumple __Horned __Snorkack,_ Draco though bitterly. How could she be so foolish? How could she go and contract a disease and risk dying on him? Until that moment, Draco hadn't even realized how much he needed her. "...and the Siberian wizards like to make sure that there's always a fighting chance for their victims, but also the possibility of a long, painful death."

Draco went numb. What if the potion didn't work? _Long ,__painful __death._ Madame Pomfrey's words echoed around in his head. What had Luna done to deserve this? As he stared at her blonde locks, carelessly scattered on her pillow as she slept, like an angel's. Because she _was_ an angel. What had this sweet, sweet creature done to deserve a long, painful death? Draco's breathing grew ragged as he collapsed onto his knees beside her, ignoring Weasley's snicker and the concerned looks from Potter and Granger. Why did he even care about what they thought? Why did they care what he did?

"Mr. Malfoy," Madame Pomfrey began gently. "Miss Lovegood probably shouldn't have visitors at this stage."

"Please, Madame Pomfrey," Draco begged, earning even more glances from the others. "Will you stop looking at me like that?" he snapped at them, so harshly that Granger jumped in fright. He sneered at her and turned back to Madame Pomfrey, who was gazing at him pityingly, and perhaps a little surprised, for in the past, he had treated her as nothing better than a slave.

"Alright," she agreed finally. "But, Mr. Malfoy, be quiet and respectful. This is a very complex potion and it likes its silence. We don't want it to go wrong."

He nodded and sat down in the chair, watching as Madame Pomfrey carefully administered the potion. He heard, but didn't really register, the trio leaving the hospital wing, as Luna gasped and sat up, sputtering. Draco rose to help her, but was pushed back down by Madame Pomfrey and forced to watch as Luna convulsed and fell back onto her pillow. Slowly and silently, the older witch got up and left, going into her office. Draco slipped one of her hands into his, gently caressing each of the small fingers. _Luna, _he thought, hoping he could communicate to her through his thoughts. _I __need __you __to __know that __I __care __about __you. __I __think __you__'__re __the __first __person __I__'__ve __ever __really __cared __about, __Luna. __And __I__'__ve __been __lying __to __myself __about __this __for __a__long __while __now, __because __I __know __my __father __would __never __forgive __me __for... for caring about someone on the other side__. __And __I __would __never __forgive __myself..._

Draco took a shaky breath, closing his eyes. _I __hope __you __can __forgive __me. __I __feel __like __this __is __somehow __my __fault. __Like __it__'__s __punishment __for __everything __that __I__'__ve __done... __All __those __horrible __things... __It__'__s __my __fault, __Luna, __I __know __it._ And so he went on, circling around and around with his thoughts until he came back to, _It__'__s __my __fault._

_ It__'__s __not __your __fault,__Draco,_ Luna's voice told him. He jolted up, realizing he'd been asleep. Prying his eyes open, he saw that it hadn't really been Luna who had spoken. She was still fast asleep, her color dwindling even more. Draco's heart sank. He'd been so hopeful for a moment - filled with so much hope that she was back with him, ready to tell him about another one of her father's outrageous views, to comfort him about his own father...

Suddenly, Draco's eyes welled up with tears. For the two months he'd known her, really known her, he hadn't even realized how much he'd become dependent on Luna. Half of him wanted to argue and say, _I__'__m __not __dependent __on __anyone, __much __less __Loony __Lovegood_, but the other half knew that he was beginning to care for more deeply than he cared for even his mother. If she were gone, who would be there to make him laugh? Draco felt like he had laughed way more in the last month alone than he had laughed all his life. And who would be there to support him when he felt guilty about all of his sins? And who would be there, promising to take him hunting for Crumple Horned Snorkacks? And who would...

Draco realized he was crying in earnest now and wiped his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself. As he pulled back his sleeve, his Dark Mark flashed before his eyes. He _hated_ that thing. He _hated_ it. Because even though he was still helping out his father, he hated the reminder of those dark days, when he'd been forced to torture and kill. He still had nightmares about the Dark Lord... Draco choked up again. That was something only Luna knew. Luna... she knew so much about him, understood him so well. She couldn't die. She just _couldn__'__t._

She couldn't.

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><p>Luna's eyelids flickered slightly in the morning, but nobody was there to see. Slowly, she opened her eyes, allowing the sunlight to flood them as the dawn rays danced across the opposite wall. "Mmmm," she tried to speak, but couldn't. She couldn't move either. It was as if something very heavy was holding her down.<p>

As her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, she noticed that there was something holding her down - a person, clinging to her so tightly that she could hardly breathe. When she saw the person's light hair, she immediately recognized him as Draco. "Draco," she whispered, smiling. "Draco."

He stirred slightly, then sat up abruptly. "Oh. Luna, you're awake!" he exclaimed, grinning so widely that she wouldn't have been surprised if he had caught the Wurples - a disease in which the patient can't do anything but smile.

"Yes, I am," she smiled back, leading into a long pause, during which Draco realized that he was sitting almost on top of Luna and got up awkwardly. Luna frowned as she watched him try to hide from his emotions, like he always did. "Draco..." she began, about to say that she understood how he was feeling completely, but he interrupted her.

"No, I'll... I'll get Madame Pomfrey," he said abruptly, leaving to fetch the witch. Luna sighed, letting her dreaminess fade for a moment. It was happening more and more often these days - whenever she was around Draco, she found herself wanting to hide, to be less honest, or for him to want her. She kept trying to be better, to be more fun... For some reason, she wanted Draco to want to be with her, always. And the strange thing was, not even Luna had a theory to explain this.

Except that maybe she was falling in love.

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><p>Okay! Did you guys like it? Please tell me you did... Like, actually tell me. And tell me if you like the Luna POV! If you did, I might include more!<p> 


	6. Author's Note

Hey, troops! I know what you're all thinking: I'm a horrible person for not updating in so long. And I truly, truly am sorry - I don't know where life has gone. It feels like it was just last week that I updated, but I logged in, and it's been almost 30 days! I just feel horrible about this, so I'm really going to try and step it up, although I don't really know when I'll get a chance to update again. And I can't honestly give you a good excuse for my absence - although I do have a good excuse for not updating this week. I have this giant test, and I really need to focus on that, because quite honestly, I don't understand what my math teacher is talking about half the time (which is pretty much a first - I'm generally good at math). ANYWAY, I'll try and update next weekend, and if not, well, I know what I'm doing over Thanksgiving. I thought I was going to be able to write over End of Quarter... but I guess I was too busy. Thanksgiving is better - 5 days, and it's more of a family thing, so I won't be as busy with my friends. I know you're all really disappointed that this isn't a chapter - I know I hate when authors of my stories pop in just to write a really long Author's Note... but it's better than leaving you all in the dark, right? So thanks for all the reviews and alerts I've been getting these past few weeks, and I promise I'll write more. I've just been busy lately - and I know that's not an excuse, but I hope it's something you can understand. I swear on my life I'll get a chapter to you within two weeks! And you can quote me on that. =) Thanks so much for (hopefully) understanding and being such great readers! PM me if you have anything to say, please. I'd welcome it! (Unless it's something really angry that makes me feel worse. Although I probably deserve it.) KarmellaKitty P.S.: This is saving really weird, so it looks like one giant paragraph... sorry about that! 


	7. Chapter 6

Happy Thanksgiving all! (Unless you aren't from the U.S., then Happy Thursday with no school!) I hope you have lots to be thankful for. =) Granted, a lot of you probably won't be reading this ON Thanksgiving, since there's only forty minutes left of today here in my Midwestern city, but anyway... here's chapter 6! I like this one, lots of inner turmoil. =)

Disclaimer: Don't own My Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne, don't own HP.

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><p>"Hi, Draco!" Luna greeted him brightly the next Monday, the first day that she was allowed to return to classes. Draco had been avoiding her since that night in the hospital wing; although she had been allowed out of the hospital wing, they hadn't spoken a word since... the incident. Now, Draco smiled shakily, staring uneasily at Luna's hand, which was outstretched, as though she wanted him to hold it.<p>

And the strange thing was that he almost wanted to take it. It had felt so nice to hold Luna when she had been sick, to feel her smaller body pressed up against his. Draco wanted to feel that warmth again. He reached out slightly, his finger catching on hers and causing a radiant smile to light her face. But then he realized what he was doing and abruptly pulled away. The hurt on Luna's face was so poignant that he had to look away. _What __the __hell?_ he thought angrily. _I __can__'__t __hold __hands __with __Loony __Lovegood! __That __would __be __like... __like __we__'__re __a __couple. _He felt a pang. _Why __can__'__t __we __be __a __couple?_ half of him whined.

_Be __a __couple? __Are __you __crazy? __With __Loony __Lovegood? __As __if!_the other half of him scoffed back.

_I __want __her... __I __want __to __love __her __so __much..._ his sympathetic side protested weakly.

_Love? __Draco, __love __has __never __been __the __plan. __Remember? __The __plan __is __to __be __a __Malfoy. __Marry __a __pureblood. __Have __a __son __to __bear __the __Malfoy __name. __Never __has __love __been __part __of __the __plan,_ his stronger side insisted.

_Luna__'__s __the __daughter __of __a __witch __and __wizard,_ his weak side told him, gaining a little bit of strength.

_Draco __- __do __you __realize __you __are __saying __you __want __to __fall __in __love __with __and __marry __Loony __Lovegood?_ the arrogant Draco sneered. And with that the battle was won.

"I'm sorry, Luna," he said in after a long, awkward silence. "But I don't want anything... like that. We're friends. Best friends."

Luna's face was so crushed that Draco could feel his heart being compressed and frozen. She pursed her lips and blinked as though trying to hold back tears. Draco's stomach turned cold, for he wished he could wipe that heartbroken look off her face with a... Wait, what had he been about to think? A kiss? No... No... Draco couldn't let himself think like that.

He shook his head and closed his eyes, and by the time he opened them again, Luna's eyes were misty again and her smile had regained its dreamy quality. Relaxing, Draco smiled back, hoping that that was the end of the subject. They began to walk towards their first class of the day, together, but it was a long, frigid silence between them. Draco began to grow uneasy again, as it was unlike Luna not to reply to him at all. He kept casting worried glances at her, but her eyes were fixed straight ahead, as if she were gazing into a world that no one but herself could see.

"Welcome, Miss Lovegood. How are those Snickering Sassafras plants I gave you a few weeks ago? Are they growing well?" It was Professor Slughorn, beaming at her.

"Oh, yes, Professor. They're absolutely lovely! I think they're doing a great job of attracting the Sassies." Suddenly, Luna's smile grew much larger as she rifled through her bag. "I think I might have some here!" She began removing objects: first a small telescope (Draco's present to her for the school's 'Presents for Partners' Week), a weird yellow rock, a bundle of purple pencils... Draco smiled fondly at that one. He remembered the first day he'd seen the pencils - he'd made a big joke out of it, having never seen pencils before. And Luna had braved all of the snickers from the Slytherins, calmly explaining that she bought a purple pencil every time she visited an important Muggle monument, just to remind her of the moment.

Draco's eyes felt strangely damp, as his memories finally let him access the night at the hospital wing, which he'd been blocking out for so long. _You__'__re __the __first __person __I__'__ve __ever __really __cared __about._ It was true. No, it wasn't. What was he thinking? No, he cared about Luna. As a friend. That was it. He didn't... _like_ her. Okay, so maybe he thought she was attractive. Maybe. But that didn't mean he liked her - no, of course not. How could he ever think such a thing?

"Draco? Draco, m'boy, are you feeling alright?" It was Slughorn, who appeared to be shaking his shoulders lightly.

"What?" Draco sputtered, realizing he'd had his eyes closed while he reminisced. "No, no, I'm... I'm just fine."

But as Potions progressed, the things he'd thought that night in the hospital wing kept flooding back to him, reminding him of how much his heart had hurt when he'd thought Luna was dying. But... she was his friend. Of course he'd cared when she'd been that sick. It was... a friendly feeling. Nothing more.

Draco could've gone on all day, but unfortunately, his potion did not benefit from his negligence. It began emitting blue smoke that smelled rather like rotten eggs, at which Granger cast a contemptuous glance at him and elicited a smirk from Potter and the Weasleys, who were all sitting with their respective partners - all of whom looked sympathetic. Draco muttered a quick spell, which evaporated his potion, earning him yet another D for the day. And Potions wasn't the only class in which his grades were slipping - with Luna as his partner, he couldn't seem to concentrate. No, it wasn't _Luna._ What did Luna have to with anything? It was his dad, who'd sent another letter begging for information, this one even crazier than the last:

"Howdy, Draco! It's been an exciting last few days! Your information was the best thing to happen to me since your mother nearly died - oh, relax, I'm just kidding. Come on, just a little more? I need to know where and when the Order's next meeting will be. I know that Lovegood girl is juicy - in the information way, of course. Oh, Draco, have some fun! Because all those girls will be gone once our master's in power again! Come on! Information? Pretty please? Sincerely, your dear old Dad, Lucius Malfoy."

Draco had gagged on his eggs benedict when he read this letter. It was so ludicrous, nonsensical and borderline perverted that he was surprised any version of his dad could have written it. As Draco sat in Potions and watched Luna stir her potion with a dreamy look (in both of their eyes), he shook his head bitterly. He had been trying to help his dad with the information, but clearly, it had made things worse. His mother reported strange incidents around the house - a magically conjured stuffed rooster toy hung from the rafters in the kitchens, a strange stuffed wolf's head found in the refrigerator. They weren't even bad - just creepy. Very, very creepy. Apparently, half the staff had already quit.

But what to do? Maybe he should give his dad the information. If it really was the last, as Lucius said, perhaps it would end it all. Draco was certainly scared for himself and his mother, if he didn't hand over the information. Especially for his mother. Who knew what his insane dad would do to her if he was driven even madder by a refusal? Draco shuddered, tracing Luna's curls with his eyes, as though they could cure them from his anxiety.

"Draco, why are you staring at me like that?" Luna asked serenely as she stoppered a bottle of her potion.

Draco jumped back to reality, startled. "Oh, no, I'm not, I'm just..." he stuttered, unable to come up with an excuse.

"You have feelings for me, Draco," she informed him, in her most matter-of-fact voice.

Draco's eyes widened. "What? No! Why would you think that?"

This time, Luna didn't seem at all put off by his vehement denial of any non-platonic feelings. In fact, she seemed even more certain. "It's alright, Draco. I accept it. I think I may be developing similar feelings."

Putting his hands up and standing, Draco stepped back and shook his head firmly. "Nope. Nope. I really, really don't feel anything of the kind..." he told her, though his instincts were screaming at him to swallow his pride and man up. But he couldn't. Malfoys, by nature, were much too cowardly for anything of the kind...

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><p>The ferocious November wind whipped around him as he ascended the steps to the Owlery. His freezing fingers held a letter, a letter that Draco wished he wasn't sending. It was as though some other force commanded him, while repeated in his head, like a mantra, <em>For <em>_mother. __I __don__'__t __like __Luna. __For __mother. __I __don__'__t __like __her. __For __mother. __I __could __never __love __her..._

And so, an owl took flight into the cloudy sky, buffeted by the same wind that caused Draco's eyes to tear up as he gazed at the slowly receding speck that carried the marks of his own horrendous nature.

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><p>Oooo. =) REVIEW and tell me what y'all think!<p> 


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